Todd, great insights, some probably more important than others but I think you hit key points about growing, healthy churches. I suggest that you take a look at the book, Failure of Nerve, a book brought out by the Family of Dr. Ed Friedman after his death. You will see several key principles in his book that you mention, especially vision and making tough decisions.

Dr. Friedman also wrote Generation to Generation and taught several thousand relgious leaders about healthy family life at home, church and society.

You did not mention higher education but implied that training within trumps formal education. The growing churches I worked with in Asia strongly emphasized discipleship rather than education. Some would not allow their staff to take off more than one year to attend seminary because they lost their vision and loyalty to the local congregation.

Will – Todd didn’t say, but I’d guess these are actually very different “types” of churches.  And I would further guess, buy the comment about the number of decisions to follow Jesus, that the “get it” factor Todd refers to is that the churches reaching people and seeing lives changed.

Observations can’t really be argued (not that I would), they are simply observations.  I do have a few comments:

#2 – I feel that it is highly valuable and important to build leaders and hire from within, but not always.  Periodically a pair of fresh eyes is important.  Perhaps this is less important for these churches because of #6, but being mentored still cannot bring the kind of perspective as having a team new member who came from another geography and a completely different ministry.

#6 is as important for individuals as it is for churches and organizations.

#9 – Oh boy, there are sure a lot of churches that don’t make tough calls because it doesn’t seem loving.  The church could learn something from the corporate world here.  It is in no way loving (nor is it good stewardship) to allow someone to skate, not contribute to the team or the kingdom, not use their own gifting to the max.

#10 is my favorite.  Not paying attention to numbers is a prescription for complacency, ineffectiveness and just plain bad ministry.  It’s like taking the precious resources of time, money, people and gifts (ours and the gifts of others), and telling ourselves we don’t have to account for what we do with these.  I remember what the master said to the steward who didn’t pay attention to numbers . . . ouch!!

Wendi

Interesting observations Todd.  Some seem to be obvious but let me engage those that I thought were more revealing.

#2 - Hiring from within certainly gives the impression to others that there is hope for their gifts to be appreciated and utilized as they feel God would lead them to.  This is very important in my opinion.  Why spend so much resources discipling others that will only be able to follow the Holy Spirit in serving (as He impresses them to) at another church or ministry organization?  That makes no sense.  Since I arrived at my church in July 2006 I have developed a great working relationship with the Associate Pastor who had been here for 7 years previously and have hired our volunteer Youth Pastor as our full time Student Ministry Pastor.  We all serve together, moving forward in the same vision, and these decisions have been honored and blessed by God.  The only new person we hired was our new Music Ministry Director to get our music more updated.  He has done a wonderful job but interestingly most of my grumbling from others has come as a result of this hire from the outside.  But praise God that 80% of the people are fully supportive and appreciative of our new musical direction.

#5 - It’s refreshing to see others in churches that God is moving in to admit that they don’t all have it “figured out.” Count me in on this.  This is my first church ministry as a pastor and transitioning a 114 year old church that at one time was a growing and thriving church (3-4 decades ago) has been challenging to say the least.  It’s not the “what to do’s” that is challenging but rather the bleeding of people who rather worship somewhere else than to stay and join a ministry that has witnessed God’s hand in saving people (24 in 8 months), re-igniting a Holy Spirit fire in the overwhelming majority of others who now sense a hope, direction, and mission that they hadn’t sensed before.  We’ve added 70-100 weekly in 8 months but lost 30 or so along the way as well.  It’s very hurtful and very stressful but all this is to say that leaders must be flexible and trust in God to be God and not trust in our foreknowledge and plans.  He does have it “all figured out.” Amen.

#9 is my favorite.  I’d like to reword that to say making the “right calls.” The main reason they are tough is because, as it is stated above in my comments to #6, we don’t have it all figured out.  We now it’s “right” but the stress of others bemoaning the decision, gossiping about the person who made it (or just gossip about the senior pastor for any decision whether he had anything to do with it or not!), harming people’s reputations, standing as obstacles to the ministry, and any other headache makes making the “right” decision painful.  But either we’re leaders or we’re not.  Either we trust in God or we don’t.  Some are called to have somewhat of a Jeremiah-ish portion to the ministry.  Either we flee to Tarshish like Jonah when we don’t like it or we do what Paul did - serve faithfully even unto death.

We’re growing in numbers, enthusiasm for the Lord, joy in our worship and our fellowship, and seeing/sensing the relevance of God’s Word to our lives today.  The only thing we’ve decreased in is our giving (the result of the 30 or so who left and the protest of others who have stayed who are upset with our reduction in missions overseas for our increase in missions locally.)

People getting saved, baptized, and joining the church - all in numbers not seen in most people’s experience here over decades.  I’ll stick with God on this one and pray that we continue to remain in the 6% of churches who are growing. 

Hey Todd ... pray for us!

It would seem that such churches are positioned in such a way that change is not only embraced but an expected part of the process.  I wonder how other churches, leaders and members will react when the normal Sunday experience is transformed into what’s coming next.  Will they hold on to the old or embrace the new?  Most people by nature hate change, and it will take some gutsy visionaries to press through that resistance so that the new wine skin can be made ready.

I loved the article! I am so blessed to be on staff at a church that “gets it” and to personally work for a senior pastor that is such a dynamic leader who’s vision is so contageous. I was brought to this position as an outsider (which is pretty much a no no around here - hires from within) eight months ago. Honestly I have never been a part of something so amazing. I’ve seen too many “not getting it” churches. But I am blown away to watch week after week of new people who are lost come through the doors here not knowing Jesus and getting saved for the first time and then to see them back here every week and get to interact with them and hear how God is changing their lives and they can’t explain it and to watch them turn around and bring in their lost friends and family. This is the TRUE power of God that I’ve always longed to see. Souls being saved is THE ultimate move of the Holy Spirit. I grew up being taught (even though it didn’t seem correct to me) that the Holy Spirit moves when people start running the aisles and jumping pews, falling down and having “church” on a Sunday evening for 5 hours. How beautiful to see an even more powerful move of the Holy Spirit in that lost people are turning to Christ and lives are being changed and numbers are being added daily! The leadership training and hands-on, behind the scenes ministry training have been out of this world for me. I love this body’s mission and vision with all my heart and I will protect it in everyway possble.  I love being a part of a ministry that is purposed and excellent and driven but at the same time is just saturated in the spirit of generosity that it’s contageous and everyone gets that the church is not a building but it’s a people but that building and those people must set an atmophere so that soil can be cultivated so that when the seed of the Word comes forth, lives are saved

(sorry for all the run on sentences but I got a little excited thinking about all that God has been doing!)

They don’t contradict.  Visionaries see beyond the horizon.  The big picture.  How to get from point A to point B takes a lot of navigation, redirection, investigation, questions, etc.  For example, a visionary may know that God told him that they were to take a city for Jesus.  Some of the big vision includes many coming to Christ, the development of a city-wide prayer event, regular signs and wonders, etc.  They see it as if it were already happening.  How to make it happen?  Not sure- but we try and try again!

Todd - loved this post. I highlighted your article and offered my comments at http://www.leadingsmart.com/leadingsmart/2007/04/churches_that_g.html

Over the horizon comes the Anit-Christ and Daniel’s 70 th week and the things that will come upon the church in those days (no, we dont get taken out)...amazing to me with what is happening nothing metioned about such things,,

Todd,

Great article! 

Ray

Brian, I was getting ready to slap you!  (in love, of course!)

I work for a church that “gets it” and I tell everyone who will listen that I love my job!  I thank God every day for the blessing of seeing His plan revealed in the lives of people I know and love.

I was hired from within.  Started as a volunteer in my current position and they brought me on staff after 6 months.  But, I am with Jan - I’m not going to get pregnant to make my church a text-book example of Todd’s article!  ;P

Great job as always, Todd!

After getting the “left foot of rejection” when I attempted to bring small group Bible studies into my church I decided to study how to be a change agent without killing the church or the leaders. I received a doctorate in Counseling with a minor in Organizational Development. Then I learned about the mistakes I had made.

Bringing changes to an existing church is at least ten times more difficult that starting anew. But, if one is trained in change agentry and systems thinking it is possible.  I was involved an an internal consultant and change agent in a mega church and have consulted with many small, medium size and large churches that want to change.

However, a ham fisted or premature intervention can mobilize the forces of resistance against you so it is important to understand what the system will do with the intended intervention.  If you want to foster systemic change you need a systemic consultant.

Todd, thanks for visiting us here at C3 church, funny thing, my wife just gave birth...hmmmm. Maybe we all just love our wives, a little too much, go figure. Anyway, awesome blog!!! I’ll add it to my daily readers!!

Cory Bolduc
C3 church, Clayton